Irfan Pathan’s dance with Rashid Khan

By
Justice Markandey Katju
-
17
359
 Afghanistan’s historic victory over Pakistan on 23rd October at Chennai in the World Cup 2023 cricket tournament was a victory of David against Goliath.
After the match famous former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan danced on the cricket field with Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, a scene which went viral on the internet
Many Pakistanis have criticised Irfan Pathan for his dance, but in my opinion the criticism was silly and puerile
Irfan Khan was naturally happy that Afghanistan, which has very good friendly ties with his country India, won the match.
But apart from that, being a Pathan, he would also be having sentimental connection with Afghanistan, the land of his ancestors.
There are many Afghans living in India whose ancestors came here for a variety of reasons, and they have been living here for generations. Indeed, India has been a country where people from different parts of the world came and settled here, and lived without fear of persecution.
As I have said in an article, India is broadly a country of immigrants, like North America, and about 92-93% of the ancestors of today’s Indians were not its original inhabitants, but came from abroad ( mainly from the north west ).
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/what-is-india/articleshow/10994212.cms
For instance, the Parsis came to India about 1200 years ago because they were persecuted in Persia due to religious bigotry, and ever since they have lived in India with dignity and honour, and achieved great success in business, law, the armed forces, the arts, etc.
The Jews came to India 2000 years ago, because they were persecuted by the Romans, and for 2000 years Jews lived in India with dignity and honour. They were never persecuted in our country, and there was never any anti-semitism in India. Of course most of our Jews have now migrated to Israel, not because we persecuted them, but because they thought they had better opportunities in Israel.
We had Armenians living in India for centuries, though now most have chosen to return to their homeland after Armenia became independent.
We have Chinatowns in Kolkata, Mumbai, etc where many Chinese lived and were in manufacturing, trade and leather products, running shoe shops, Chinese restaurants, etc and as dentists. They sent their children to English medium schools all over the country, and in my own school, the Boys High School, Allahabad ( where I studied from 1951-61 ) there were many Chinese students. There was a Professor of Chinese in my alma mater, the Allahabad University ( where I studied from 1963-67 ) who told me his Chinese dialect was hakka. Later, many Chinese migrated to USA and Canada, and I still speak to a few who were my schoolmates on whatsapp..
When I went recently to Bhatkal, which is a town in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, I found many Muslims there who were very fair. When I asked how this was so, they told me it was because they were descendants of Yemenis and Persians who had come there several centuries ago, and they have their own dialect Nawayathi
Many scholars, sufi saints, etc came to India from the Middle East, Persia, etc, and no one was ever turned away.
So I see nothing wrong in Imran Pathan dancing after Afghanistan’s victory. Pakistanis should grow up

17 COMMENTS

  10. Fresh poppy pods are the seed pods that are harvested from the poppy flower. Poppies are known for their beautiful flowers, but it’s their seed pods that are of the most value. These pods contain the seeds for the next crop and, when dried, they are frequently used in floral arrangements and other decorative crafts. By using fresh poppy pods, you can take your art to the next level as it gives a natural and pleasant look to your creations.

  11. Green Flame Fuel: wood pellets is a comprehensive information resource promoting the UK as a global supplier of quality, environmentally-responsible forest products from sustainably-managed forests.

  12. Our journey began with a simple, irresistible love for Maine Coon kittens for sale. Today, we operate under the brand name “Adorable Claw”, proudly pitting ourselves as one of the credible and well-established breeders in the industry. At our core, we specialize in the sale of superior quality, pedigree Maine Coon kittens, distinguishing ourselves through our passion, commitment, and exceptional standards.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here